Surreal Soundz

In summer 2025, I was approached by the host of a radio show that aired from UW Madison's campus. The concept of his show- Surreal Soundz- was to arrange a collection of songs around one central piece of art. Initially, the host approached me to ask about using one of my pieces as the theme of an episode of the show. I agreed, but wanted to do a little more. I asked the host if I could design a digital poster for his show, and he agreed and sent me a Pinterest board of the general "vibe" he'd like me to try to capture.

 

The Pinterest board had images with a nostalgic, surreal kind of vibe: 

I wanted to try and capture an almost otherworldly feeling for my poster, while keeping to the subject matter: a radio show. I knew that it would be important to capture bright, bold colors and thick, confident lines in my design. I also decided to make the design a little abstract, particularly in my depiction of the radio host himself. 

Here's what I landed on! I went with a simple design for the character, surrounded by a chaotic explosion of stars and shapes. The mic in the corner helps to communicate the message of the poster, and the bold, bright color palette helps contribute to a sense of whimsicality. I also kept the amount of words on this piece pretty minimal to emphasize their impact in the space.